Discoveries
by Akalea
Summary: AU - After their mothers death, Buffy and Dawn move away to England leaving Sunnydale behind. Once there, Dawn receives a certain letter. wink wink (Crossover with Harry Potter)
1. Running From The Truth

Title: Discoveries  
  
Author: Akalea   
  
Rating: PG-13 - Just to be safe and so I can throw in the odd swear word..hehe :)  
  
Disclaimer: The usual, none of these characters belong to me....  
  
Summary: AU - After their mothers death, Buffy and Dawn move away to England leaving Sunnydale behind. Once there, Dawn   
receives a certain letter. *wink wink* (Crossover with Harry Potter)  
  
Author's Note: Well there a lot to say. It's an AU so Buffy isn't a slayer nor do they know anything of vampires or demons, she is 18   
and Dawn is 11. The Scooby Gang still exist, except Giles (as much as we all love him, he doesn't fit in with this storyline!). The gang  
is back at Sunnydale, where there isn't a hellmouth. :)   
Also, Harry and the Gang are starting their first year at Hogwarts, so this takes place during Book 1. I'm kinda using the 1st book as  
a reference so I get everything right, with the other details that aren't in the book, I'm making up. :) Hope I didn't leave anything out. If I   
did, tell me and I'll explain it.  
This is my second Buffy/Harry Potter Crossover story, the other one didn't go quite so well...anyway, start reviewing giving me tips  
to help me make my story better. Thanks.  
  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Chapter 1 - Running From The Truth  
  
  
  
Dawn stared out the window at the unfamiliar landscapes that surrounded her. A street lined with parked cars and luscious green   
trees and a park across the road with enormous oaks and spectacularly planted gardens. She watched the people pass by, so caught  
up in their lives that they didn't even notice an eleven-year-old girl, sitting at the window they were passing, with a small tear running   
down her cheek.  
  
She gazed down at the book she held tightly in her hands, her diary where she wrote her in most thoughts and feelings, and put pen   
to paper.  
  
  
Dear Diary,  
Hi, it's me. Why is everything going so wrong? First mum (A.N: that's the way I write it) dies... so suddenly, leaving Buffy  
and me on our own. Then, the next thing I know, I've moved across the ocean to a country that I don't even know, by Buffy. Moved   
away from the people who are my friends, the people who I care about.  
I'm trying to understand why we've moved here to England, and why we've just dropped everything we had back in Sunnydale. I think   
that Buffy needed a break and is trying to run away from the truth - mum is dead. Oh, I really miss her.  
  
  
Dawn's tears started to flow and she roughly scribbled her name at the bottom of the page. She threw her diary down in anger and   
curled her legs up to her chest, burying her head in between her knees. She breathed deeply for a moment, trying to calm herself   
down and then slowly stood up.  
  
She knew she couldn't just sit up in her room all day - that she'd have to face life sooner or later.   
  
"Too bad Buffy isn't though." She thought to herself, recalling the whole situation she was in. She inhaled and walked over to her   
door, reaching for the brass door handle.  
  
"Well, her goes." She muttered to herself as she walked out into the hall.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
The new house wasn't anything spectacular. If anything, it was quite the opposite, very dusty and putrid. Buffy looked around the   
kitchen. All the boxes were sprawled out on the floor and in every other room too.  
  
She absent-mindedly began unwrapping the fragile glassware and crockery that had been wrapped up in newspapers from the   
move to England. Her expression was blank and hard to read, as she sat there in silence. Her thoughts were racing, she thought   
about the death of her mother, all the responsibility that had been dropped on her shoulders because she was now Dawn's legal   
guardian.   
  
She couldn't take it all in, in a just a moment, her life had been turned upside down. Her face cracked, and she began to shake.  
  
Dawn walked into the kitchen and saw Buffy sitting at the kitchen table, unpacking boxes. Immediately, Buffy straightened up and   
gave a small smile to her little sister. Dawn forced a smile in return, she was getting used to pretending to be okay. She turned around  
and walked over to the cupboard and started to raid it for food.  
  
No such luck. There wasn't a single ounce of food in sight. She turned and gave Buffy a look of desperation.  
  
"Buffy, where's the food?" Dawn questioned, just as her stomach gave a loud rumble.  
  
"Oh," Buffy began, a little distracted. "Well we've got to go to the supermarket later. First I'm going to unpack some more and I also   
have to think about looking for a job. But don't worry, there'll be food."  
  
Dawn nodded and slowly walked out of the room, disappointedly. She entered the lounge. It's furniture covered with sheets and a   
thick layer of dust. She thumped the couch to rid it of the dust and when she had very little success she gave up and just sat down on   
it anyway.  
  
She gazed out the window - something she'd been doing often recently. This was her escape from the problems that she'd been   
facing lately, Buffy's was to leave and get a fresh start. Dawn had spent hours looking up the streets, watching people walk past, cars   
thundering by and the birds flying around with such freedom.  
  
At that moment, her interest was drawn to a particularly large bird flying in the distance. Actually, now that she thought about it, the   
bird looked as if it were headed her way. She watched it flap its large grey wings with such grace, until she could make out it's other   
features. When she could, Dawn frowned at what she saw.  
  
It appeared to be a large grey owl, also with something attached to its leg. It came close, landing on the front fence of her house.  
  
Dawn stared at it, it appeared to be looking at her - as if it were waiting for something. So Dawn decided to open the window and find  
out. As soon as she had, the bird flew past and landed on the couch.  
  
Dawn jumped from shock; she wasn't expecting that to happen. She'd it expected it to fly away from fright when she had opened the   
window. But instead it sat on her couch with its leg held out with something attached to it.  
  
She slowly and uncertainly reached over and detached the object, which appeared to be a letter. The bird gave a hoot and flew over   
to the couch.  
  
  
  
(A.N - Did you like it? Did you hate it? I'd love to know. Please submit a review and tell me.) 


	2. The Letters And Beginning Of The Journey

Author's Note: Well here's Chapter 2, I actually really enjoying writing this. I hope you're enjoying reading this too. Please review to tell  
me if you are or aren't. :) Chapter 3 will be on its way soon, after I can get all my school work finished.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 2 - The Letters and Beginning Of The Journey  
  
Buffy raced in as soon as she heard the noise coming from the lounge room, she looked around the room, noticing the owl.  
  
"Dawn, what is that doing here," She asked just as her eyes fell on the package in Dawn's lap. "What is that?"   
  
"I don't know." Dawn's responded distractedly. She was too focused on the letter she'd received. She ran her fingers across the  
delicately written address on the envelope.  
  
"We've barely been here a week, how does anyone know our address?" Dawn frowned with confusion.  
  
She turned over the envelope as Buffy came to gaze over her shoulder. There was a logo stamped on the back, it read 'Hogwarts'.   
Both the girls looked very puzzled by this.  
  
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Pressured Buffy, who was highly curious about the letter.  
  
So Dawn did just that. She ripped open the flap at the back of the envelope, opening it. She pulled out a couple of pieces of paper and  
unfolded the first one. She began to read:  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,Chf. Warlock,)  
Supreme Mugwump. International Confed. of Wizards)  
  
Dear Miss Summers,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find  
enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.  
  
Yours Sincerely,  
  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
"What the.." Buffy started to say but her attention was drawn to Dawn when she unfolded the second piece of paper, which was   
clearly the list that had been mentioned in the letter.  
  
"We await your owl by no later than 31 July." Dawn re-read out loud, she then looked over and noticed the owl still perched up on the  
back of the couch opposite.  
  
"So, we used the owl to give a reply, the same way it brought that letter here," Dawn figured. "Cool!"  
  
Dawn cocked her head to gaze up at Buffy, a look of complete aspiration on her face. "So, what should I say, this sounds so cool!"  
She squeaked.  
  
A smile lit up Dawn's face. It'd been the first real smile since their mother had passed away.  
  
"I don't know," Buffy said sceptically. "This is all really weird."  
  
"Witches and Wizards, beats the hell outta Junior High - or whatever they have here." Dawn exclaimed with raw enthusiasm.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy scolded at her use of language.  
  
"Oh come on, please." She begged, putting her hands together under her chin.  
  
"Well, this is really strange," Buffy started but saw Dawn's face drop. "It could be fake, but the owl and this parchment tells me   
otherwise and it would take so much trouble to organise something like this just for some hoax."  
  
"So, can I go?" Dawn questioned after listening to Buffy's rationalising.  
  
Buffy nodded her head and Dawn cheered, throwing her hands up in the air and jumping about. Buffy snatched up some paper and  
scribbled away, with the nearest pen she could find, the answer. She then swung out of the room and back into the kitchen.  
  
Dawn attached the response to the grey owl's leg and watched happily as it flew off into the distance.  
  
  
* * *  
  
A few days after Dawn had received her letter from Hogwarts, another letter arrived. It explained to her, since she was not of a  
wizarding family or even from the same country, about the places where Dawn and Buffy could shop for her school things.  
  
"Diagon Alley, that sounds cool." She thought as she read the directions on how to get there and which shops she'd have to visit.  
  
Buffy wandered in carrying a duster, it appeared she'd finally got around to cleaning up the lounge room. Her head snapped in Dawn's  
direction.  
  
"What's that?" She asked curiously, strolling over to look at the letter for herself.  
  
"When can we go to get my school stuff?" Dawn buzzed excitedly, hovering around Buffy, as she focused on the letter.  
  
"Oh, we can go tomorrow. Now, dinner's almost ready so go and wash up." Buffy finally responded when she realised Dawn was  
talking.  
  
"Yay! Thanks Buffy!" Dawn cheered, throwing her arms around her sister. Then she disappeared down the hallway to her room  
with so much energy and enthusiasm that she could be heard throughout the house.  
  
  
The next day came quickly and Buffy and Dawn made their way around the streets of London.  
  
"Okay, so this 'Leaky Cauldron' should be around here somewhere.." Buffy trailed off, studying the letter intently.  
  
They were standing outside a bookshop when it seemed as though a building appeared next to it. Both the girls hadn't noticed it  
before, it was a very dark, old and dank looking place. A sign stuck out with guilding letters on it, although they were peeling, that read  
'The Leaky Cauldron'.  
  
They entered quietly, as to not draw attention to themselves. It was full of people dressed in coloured cloaks, sitting at tables, chatting  
away to each other. If Buffy and Dawn thought that their dressing was odd, they didn't say a word because they, themselves, now  
stood out like a needle in a haystack.  
  
A man behind the bar walked along behind the bar, so he was closer to them, and addressed them.  
  
"Hi, you're looking for Diagon Alley, right? Had new wizards in all week coming to get their things for school." He babbled in his English  
accent. "Here, follow me and I'll show you the entrance."  
  
He started to walk out from behind the bar and over to the entrance of another room.  
  
"Oh, by the way, I'm Tom." He introduced himself as they entered what appeared to be a courtyard.  
  
"Hi, I'm Dawn Summers, and this is my older sister, Buffy." Dawn responded, motioning to both herself and Buffy as she spoke.  
  
"Well, it sounds like you're a long way from home," Tom commented when he heard their American accent. "Hope you enjoy  
Hogwarts, Miss Summers."  
  
He wandered up to a solid brick wall and tapped certain bricks, slowly so that they could tell which ones, and with that he then walked  
back into the bar. Buffy and Dawn watched with amazement as some of the bricks began to disappear and a large archway appeared  
in their place.  
  
They peered through the archway and what they saw made them stand on the spot, awestruck.  
  
(A.N - Yay, another chapter done. :) But I haven't got any reviews yet...oh well, please make sure you review this time.) 


	3. Visting Diagon Alley And Platform Nine A...

Author's Note: Well, here's Chapter 3. Think I might explain a few things. Basically from here on is my own invention of a story line so  
it might not fit the book anymore. Also, thanks to those people who reviewed my story:  
  
Sara - Don't get your hope's up :P Hehe  
  
Alienbeing - To answer your questions, well Dawn is exists because Joyce and Hank had her normally (she wasn't created by the   
monks in this universe) before they split up. Oh well, just thought I'd make them more normal. Oh and I guess they went to Sunnydale   
because they felt like moving there. Hehe, I suck at this.   
  
Pay_Day1999 - Aww, you guessed my storyline..hehe :)  
Anyway, please review my story and I hope you enjoy this one. Oh, wait, while I'm blabbering I just thought I'd like to say that I just got  
a brilliant idea for another story, but I'm writing this one. :( Oh well.  
  
  
* * *  
Chapter 3 - Visiting Diagon Alley and Platform Nine and Three Quarters.  
  
Buffy and Dawn stood there as they gazed into a large cobbled alley filled with witches and wizards busily doing their shopping,  
from shop to shop. Old shops lined both sides of the alley, some looked like they could be over a century old. The alley appeared  
like it went on forever, with so many shops, but they could make out a very large white building up the other end, which towered over  
the other buildings easily.  
  
They suddenly remembered that they were just standing frozen on the spot, and after a few weird looks, they started down the alley.  
  
"Wow, look at that!" Dawn pointed out excitedly as they walked past shops filled with things they'd never imagined.  
  
They made their way down to Gringotts, following the explanatory letter they'd received and wandered in. The letter also explained the  
wizard currency and how to exchange muggle money. (The letter also explained about 'muggles').  
  
Buffy told Dawn to stay near the entrance while she exchanged their money. She soon returned holding her bag, which was now  
heavy full of wizard money.  
  
"Ooh, can I look at the money?" Dawn asked enthusiastically, she was now very interested in anything to do with wizards and   
witches.  
  
Buffy handed her overflowing purse to Dawn while she began to rummage through her bag.  
  
"Well Dawn, we better get your things for school. Now where's that list.." Buffy muttered as she searched her bag.  
  
Dawn subconsciously put the money she'd been studying, in her pocket. They'd walked outside and a little way up the alley, Buffy  
still shuffling through her bag frantically, when Dawn's attention was drawn to a shop called Ollivanders. There was a sign above the  
door that read: 'Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC'. She also noticed a wand sitting in the shop window.  
  
"Wow," She thought as she tried to peer through the window. "Magic wands, that is so cool!"  
  
Dawn's curiousity drew her into the shop and a bell rang as she entered. There was already someone in the shop, a humungous   
man sitting in a chair near the door. Then she noticed another person, a boy her age with dark hair and glasses, standing in the middle  
of the store. He appeared to be gazing around with just as much curiousity as she was. Dawn figured this was all new to him as well.  
  
The boy turned around and noticed her, and Dawn thought it polite to introduce herself.  
  
"Hi," She said with a smile, looking both at the boy and the man in the chair. "I'm Dawn."  
  
"Hi, I'm Harry, and this is Hagrid." He introduced pointing to himself and the giant man in the chair, he seemed friendly.  
  
"Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts," Hagrid added politely. "Are you in 'ere ter get yer first wand too, Dawn?"  
  
Dawn nodded as she spoke. "Yeah, actually, my sister and I were here getting my stuff for Hogwarts."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by an old man, she guessed to be Mr. Ollivander, considering that was the name of the shop. He  
appeared from the back of the shop past rows and rows of small boxes stacked on each other.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Summers," He address them, startling all the three people in the front of the shop. "Be needing your first wands?"  
He freaked Dawn out when he knew her name, and judging by Harry's face, Dawn guessed Harry was too.  
  
With that he disappeared among the rows and rows of boxes, searching frantically. Dawn and Harry stepped up closer to the counter,  
in the centre of the shop, to get a better view up the rows of boxes and to see where Mr. Ollivander had disappeared. He returned a few  
moments later, carrying two long and narrow boxes in his hands. He pulled the lids off, revealing two varnished and polished wooden  
wands.  
  
He handed one to Dawn and the other to hand. They both received the wands and stood there, unsure. But before they could ask  
what it was they were supposed to be doing, the wands were snatched back by Mr. Ollivander in one very swift movement. He then  
went in search for two more wands and returned again to give them to Dawn and Harry.  
  
Once again, in an instant he'd snatched up their second wands perhaps even quicker than the last time. He returned a third time with  
wands he was sure would be perfect. Dawn anticipated getting the wand taken from her again, when she picked up her third wand.  
  
Mr. Ollivander had taken Harry's wand back, however, he didn't take Dawn's. Instead, the wand emitted a glow and Dawn felt  
something with wand she was holding. It was an odd sensation for Dawn.  
  
"Aha, I think we've found a match. Unicorn Hair, Mahogany, 8 Inches," Dawn listened as he described the wand. "Would you like to  
buy that now, I fear it's going to be a while before we find Mr. Potter, here, a wand."  
  
Dawn nodded, then it occurred to her that she didn't have any money, Buffy did. Then she remembered back to just before, outside  
Gringotts, she had put money in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out several different coloured coins, gold, silver and bronze.  
Mr. Ollivander and Hagrid helped her with the currency, because she had no clue what was what.  
  
She'd just paid when the bell rang and Buffy appeared in the shop.  
  
"Dawn, there you are," She called with relief. "Please don't go walking off on me again."  
  
Dawn picked up the box containing her wand and headed over to the door.  
  
"Well, I'll see you at school." She called out as she turned to walk out with Buffy.  
  
As she was leaving she heard Harry's and Hagrid's muffled goodbyes. They then wandered over to the next shop and as they did,  
Dawn explained to Buffy what happened in Ollivanders and she proudly displayed her wand.  
  
After a couple of long hours on their feet shopping, Buffy and Dawn had managed to purchase the rest of Dawn's school supplies.  
Dawn bought her school robes, books, cauldron and Buffy even bought Dawn an owl after she'd spent a good 10 minutes choosing  
one. In the end, she'd come out of the owlery shop with a large grey owl. It looked similar to the one that had delivered her Hogwarts  
letter. Dawn had decided upon calling her 'Joy', partly named after their mother, Joyce.  
  
  
* * *  
The day Dawn had been anticipating finally arrived. She woke up, with a smile on her face, on the morning of September first.   
  
"Dawn, come and get breakfast." Buffy's voice echoed down the hall.  
  
Dawn threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and walked down the hall and into the kitchen. She quickly ate her breakfast and rushed  
back into to her room to finish getting ready.  
  
About an hour later they got into the car to drive to Kings Cross Station. Buffy took the opportunity to lecture Dawn on what to do and  
what not to do.  
  
"Watch out for yourself, don't go getting yourself in trouble, I don't want anything happening to you." Buffy ordered, the motherly side of  
her showing considerably.   
  
"I'll be fine." Dawn had to repeat several times as Buffy went through a long list of her concerns.  
  
Before they knew it, they'd reached the train station, now all they had to do was go to Dawn's platform. It was only when Buffy pulled  
out Dawn's train ticket, that they noticed their dilemma.  
  
"Platform 9 and three quarters!" Dawn laughed hysterically at how ridiculous that sounded.  
  
They checked Platforms 9 and 10, but couldn't find Platform 9 and three quarters. They'd lost hope of finding it, after walking up and  
down the platforms for 10 minutes, until something caught Buffy's attention.   
  
There were a few people wandering along the platforms with trolleys as stacked full as Dawns. She also noticed that some had  
cages with owls and other animals in them too.  
  
"Come on, let's follow them." Buffy suggested as she began in a quick pace in the direction where the people had gone.  
  
They finally caught up when they noticed the people had halted, facing a solid barrier in between the two platforms. Buffy and Dawn  
watched with amazement as a person ran straight at the wall. Instead of the collision with the wall, that Dawn and Buffy anticipated,  
the person went straight through the wall and disappeared.  
  
Both the girl's mouths dropped open at what they'd just witnessed. They watched a few other people run through the barrier until it was  
their turn to run it. They closed their eye tightly as the barrier grew nearer and nearer. When they didn't feel an impact, they opened   
their eyes and found themselves on a completely different platform.  
  
Dawn gazed around at her surroundings. In the station, sat a bright red steam train, getting ready to leave, the name 'Hogwarts  
Express' read on the engine. She then adverted her eyes to the platform. It was filled full of witches and wizards, hugging and saying  
goodbye to each other.  
  
The whistle of the engine sounded, as a warning to the people to get on board.  
  
"Dawn, we better get you on board." Buffy said, breaking Dawn's fixation on her surroundings.  
  
They put Dawn's trunk and Joy with all the other students trunks and animals, ready to be loaded on board. Then they walked over to a  
carriage for Dawn to get on.  
  
"Well Dawnie, please look after yourself." Buffy said sadly as she pulled her into a warm hug.  
  
"Bye! I'll see you at Christmas." Dawn replied as she got on the train.  
  
The whistle sounded and moments later, the train started to pull away. Dawn stood at the door of the carriage, waving to Buffy as the  
train pulled out of Platform 9 and Three Quarters.  
  
**A.N. - Well that's the end of Chapter 3. :) Hope you liked it. Please review my story. 


	4. The Hogwarts Express And Arrival At Hogw...

Author's Note: Here's the fourth chapter. I hope you like it.  
  
Oh and just another note to keep in mind while reading this, Buffy and the Scooby Gang were still friends with Buffy even though there's no Hellmouth. Now for the reviewers:  
  
WhiteWolf 3 - Well actually they are in England just to get away from Sunnydale for a while, Dawn getting her letter for Hogwarts just happened because she moved to England. *shrugs*  
  
fairysk8r - Buffy couldn't be a teacher of Muggle Defence or anything else because she isn't the slayer, she's just an everyday muggle in this story.  
  
Thanks for those reviews, now to the story.   
  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 4 - The Hogwarts Express and Arrival at Hogwarts  
  
The train shook considerably as Dawn wandered along the corridor in search of a cabin, to spend the long journey to Hogwarts. Each  
compartment she walked past was crowded full of people, taking up all the seats. She felt like she'd walked all the way along the train  
when she found a compartment that wasn't full.  
  
The only person sitting there was the boy she'd met in Diagon Alley, Harry. She opened the door and his head swung around to look  
at who was at the door.  
  
"Hi Harry, we met in Ollivanders, do you mind if I sit her, all the cabins are full. It's unbelievable." Dawn blabbered away.  
  
"Hi Dawn, yes, you can sit here." He responded with a smile and Dawn then walked over and sat in the seat across from him.  
  
There was a short silence, soon broken by Dawn. "So, did you manage to find a wand, after all that, in Ollivanders?"  
  
"Yeah, it took a while but I managed to find one." Harry answered.  
  
Dawn suddenly changed the subject as she turned to stare out the window. "I miss home... my home, in California, before I moved over here."  
  
"Why did you move here?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
Dawn turned her head back away from the window. "My mum died, and since my dad left ages ago, there was just my sister, Buffy  
and me left. Then we moved here, I think Buffy wanted a fresh start. It's going to be hard for us, now I'm going to Hogwarts, because  
we're the only family each other has left."  
  
There was a serious and tense silence and Dawn spoke again, trying to thin the air.  
  
"What about where you live, will you miss it much while you're gone?" She asked.  
  
Harry laughed and shook his head, which gained a look of confusion on Dawn's face.  
  
"No definitely not. I live with my aunt, uncle and cousin and they treat me like a piece of dirt. You see my parents are dead. I don't even  
remember them." He lowered his head.  
  
Just then, there was a disturbance at the sliding door of the compartment. Dawn and Harry snapped their heads in that direction. There  
stood a tall red-headed boy.  
  
"Do you mind if I sit here? It's full everywhere else." He questioned.  
  
"No, come in." Dawn offered. "I'm Dawn Summers, by the way."  
  
"Hi Dawn," The redhead said as he sat down. "I'm Ron Weasley."  
  
Suddenly, he looked over to the boy who hadn't said a word. Harry noticed his eyes drift over his forehead.  
  
"You're Harry Potter!" He exclaimed with amazement.  
  
Dawn frowned. "How do you know who he is?"  
  
Ron turned and looked at her as if she was meant to be in a mental asylum.  
  
"Are you crazy? Everyone knows who Harry is with all that you-know-who business." Ron explained, which made her frown increase.  
  
"Well actually, maybe I should explain. This is all new to me as well. I only found out I was a wizard a few weeks ago!" Harry intervened  
and went on to explain what Hagrid had told him, about Voldemort, his parents and he then got to explain his scar.  
  
"Cool." Dawn exclaimed, still taking in all the information she'd just been told. "Can we see your scar?"  
  
Harry brushed up his fringe with his hand to reveal his scar. Several "cool's" and "wicked's" came from Ron and Dawn. The three  
chatted away casually for a while until someone else appeared at the compartment door and stood there.  
  
"Has anyone seen a toad, Neville's lost one." A girl with thick, busy brown hair spoke up. (A.N - Okay, okay, I'm not very original.)  
  
Dawn, Harry and Ron all shook their heads.  
  
The girl then introduced herself. "Oh, by the way, I'm Hermione Granger."  
  
Dawn smiled back and responded. "Dawn Summers."  
  
"Oh, you're that American girl who's coming here this year!" Hermione realised when she heard Dan's American accent. Dawn nodded  
and Hermione looked over at the two boys across from her.  
  
"Ron Weasley." Ron introduced himself when he realised she was waiting for their names.  
  
"Oh, and I'm Harry Potter." Harry said quietly, he'd already learnt not to say his name too loud because it drew a lot of attention.  
  
Upon hearing Harry's name, Hermione's eyes widened. "Of course, I've read about you."  
  
"I'm in books?" Harry swallowed, overwhelmed  
  
"Oh yes, quite a few. When I got my letter, I started reading all sorts of books to learn more about the Wizarding World before I came  
to Hogwarts. Also read all our school books for this year." Hermione answered, enthusiastically.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and Dawn decided to start a conversation with Hermione.  
  
"So you only just found out about Hogwarts, too?" She started, which lead to a long conversation about getting their letters.  
  
Ron and Harry chatted away, while Hermione and Dawn were talking. Ron explained about Quidditch, with much enthusiasm. After a  
while of talking, another older Hogwarts student passed by the compartment.  
  
"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon, I suggest you all get changed into your robes before we arrive." He spoke and then moved on to  
the next carriage.  
  
"Well you better get changed." Suggested Hermione, who was already in her school robes.  
  
The conversations ceased and they went off to get changed, just in time for the arrival of the train at its destination. The quad stepped  
off the Hogwarts Express and onto the hectic platform.  
  
"Firs' years follow me!" Could be heard from up the platform.  
  
The kids walked up closer to the voice, to find it was Hagrid's. Hermione, Ron and the other first years that hadn't met him glanced up  
at him, amazed by his size.  
  
"Hello Hagrid!" Dawn and Harry said in unison.  
  
Hagrid gazed down to see where the voices had come from. "'Ello there, Harry, Dawn." He beamed.  
  
Hermione and Ron seemed surprised. "You know him?" Ron questioned them.  
  
Harry launched into explanation, as they walked along, about how Hagrid rescued him from the Dursley's and took him to Diagon Alley to get school supplies. Also while there he and Hagrid met Dawn in Ollivanders. Dawn added a quick nod for confirmation.  
  
They got in boats to travel to the castle. Dawn, Harry and Ron shared a boat, while Hermione was in a boat with Neville and another student. The castle came into view and they stared at it, awestruck.  
  
"Wow, that is amazing!" Dawn shouted with excitement.  
  
The castle was huge and was lit up brightly with hundreds of windows. When they finally reached it, the first years huddled off the boats and started to walk up the steps to the castle.  
  
Hagrid knocked on a large oak door, at the castle and they entered into a large torch-lit entrance hall. There they were greeted by a witch, who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall and explained the 'Sorting Ceremony'.   
  
She then opened the two large doors into the Great Hall. As they walked in, the four of them talked about the houses Professor McGonagall had mentioned.  
  
"You don't want to be in Slytherin," Ron warned as they walked past long rows of four tables. "Every wizard that's ever gone bad was in Slytherin. They're no good."  
  
They came to a halt at the other end of the Great Hall. There stood a small wooden stool with an old hat sitting upon it. Professor McGonagall began to call out names in alphabetic order.   
  
The first of the four new friends to be sorted, Hermione, was sorted into Griffindor and she ran over to the Griffindor table, happily. The next one of them was Harry, whispering came as his name was called and he sat upon the stool. It took longer than the others, but he too was sorted into Griffindor.  
  
"Summers, Dawn." McGonagall read, after going through nearly the whole list.  
  
Dawn took a deep breath, she hoped that she would get in Griffindor with the rest of her new friends. She walked up slowly to the hat and put it on.  
  
"Hmm, let me see," A voice in her ear sounded. "Courageous one, I see. There's no doubt that you belong in, GRIFFINDOR!"  
  
The hat had shouted the last word for everyone to hear. The Griffindor table got up and cheered, especially Harry and Hermione.   
  
Ron was soon sorted into Griffindor like his older brothers, whose red hair stood out from the Griffindor table, like Ron's as soon as he took his seat next to Harry.  
  
After noticing the Weasley red hair, Dawn was admiring the Great Hall, when she spotted a red headed woman, sitting along the horizontal table up the front of the hall. The red head stood up and slowly wandered across the hall and along the Griffindor table. As she grew closer, Dawn could start to make out her features.   
  
"Oh my god, Willow!" Dawn shouted, perhaps a little too loud, as she jumped up and threw her arms around Willow.  
  
"Dawnie!" She laughed at Dawn's reaction. She then looked over to the nearby table.  
  
"Hi guys!" She greeted and some other people jumped up to greet her. Ron was one of them; the others were his brother, Fred, George and Percy.  
  
"Cousin Willow!" Percy said as the group went for a round of hugs with Willow.  
  
"Wait a second, you're related to Willow?" Dawn asked, very surprised.  
  
"Yeah, she's our cousin," Ron answered. "How do you know her?"  
  
"Her and her sister, Buffy, lived in Sunnydale too." Willow turned around to explain. "Buffy and I are friends."  
  
This was a lot to take in and Dawn voiced her exasperation. "Wow, I can't believe all of this. We've got a lot to catch up on, Willow."  
  
Hermione, who was still sitting down at the table, confused, spoke up. "Well, it better be later because it looks like Professor Dumbledore is about to speak."  
  
Dumbledore was standing up at the teacher's table, waiting for the hall to quieten down. Willow slipped back to the teacher's table and resumed her place at the table.  
  
Dumbledore started his speech. "Well, another year at Hogwarts has begun. Congratulations to all the new students who were sorted into their houses. Now, some introductions are in order. Professor Willow Rosenburg will be taking Defence Against Dark Arts, so please make her welcome, although it appears some are already familiar with her. Also, the Dark Forrest is forbidden to all students. With all the formalities out of the way, let the feast begin."  
  
Plates and dishes full of mouth-watering food appeared along the tables and the students began to dig in.   
  
* * *  
  
After the meal, the four Griffindors, along with the rest, were shown to the Griffindor tower. They entered through an entrance behind a portrait, after a prefect ushered the password.  
  
The boys and girls split up and went into their dormitories. Hermione and Dawn found that their trunks, and Joy, had been placed at the foot of one of the four-poster beds in their room. They were sharing a room with the other first year Griffindors, Lavender and Parvarti.  
  
Just before Dawn went to sleep on the first exciting night, she sat by the window, writing a letter to her sister.  
  
Dear Buffy,  
Oh my god! It's hard to believe that I left just this morning, so much has happened. Guess what! Willow is teaching here, actually, now that I think about it, I should ask her why. Did you know she was a witch?  
  
I was scared that I wouldn't make friends, but on the train I meet Harry, we saw him in Diagon Alley when we went. I also made friends with Ron Weasley, apparently he's a cousin of Willow's (how cool is that?), and a girl called Hermione. Hermione and Harry are just like me, they didn't know of the Wizarding World until they got their letters either.  
  
I'm having such a great time already and the castle is amazing. Miss you,  
Dawn.  
  
Dawn set down her new quill, folded up the piece of parchment and attached the letter to Joy's leg. The owl flew off happily into the night.  
  
Dawn drowsily walked back to her bed, covering a yawn. She needed her sleep, she could tell there was a big day ahead. A big year for that matter.  
  
A.N. - Well there it is. Please review. Oh and I hope I'll get my next chapter up next weekend - Akalea. 


	5. The First Day

Author's Note: Yay, I've finally had the time to do the 5th Chapter! Hope you guys enjoy this, not that much happens though really. Now to answer or comment on those latest reviewers:  
  
X-Lander - Yeah, though that I might twist another Buffy character into it to make it different, and I don't like Quirrell so I didn't really want to write about him.  
  
Fairysk8r - I think I explained that on the first part, I'm pretty sure I did. (  
  
Jessy - Yeah, Harry Potter and Buffy are like my two most favourite things ever so I'm really happy to be connecting them together. He he.  
  
Okay, now for the story, the first part is a dream sequence, in case you don't figure that out. Also, by the way I'm heading with this story, I'm not going to include Draco, because I don't like him and I don't think I could write much about him. Sorry, Draco fans.  
* * *  
  
Chapter 5 - The First Day  
  
Dawn walked down a dark, secluded hallway, taking each step very slowly. The sound of her feet thumping against the floorboards echoed loudly in her ears.  
  
She walked past several doors to the left and right of her, but her mind was focused on only one. A lone cobweb covered door at the end of the hallway.  
  
She grew nearer to the door and reached out her hand in advance. Her hand finally connected with the brass door handle and she tried to thrust the door open. It didn't budge.  
  
"You can't go in there." A voice from behind caught her unaware.  
  
Dawn turned to see Willow standing there behind her, as if watching her.  
  
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, confused.  
  
"You're not supposed to go in there," Willow began. "You're not supposed to see what's inside."  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn jerked awake to meet the start of a new day. She pulled open her curtains. Everyone else in her dormitory was already up, she was so involved with that dream that she'd slept in a little bit.  
  
She rushed to get showered and dressed before she wandered down to the common room filled with other Griffindors.  
  
"Sleep in, Dawn?" Harry asked as Dawn entered the common room with messy wet hair, from showering quickly, and disguising a yawn.  
  
"Yeah, I had this really weird dream." Dawn explained as she joined Harry, Ron and Hermione on the couches near the fireplace.  
  
"What happened in it?" Hermione pried.  
  
Dawn uttered out some words, trying to explain but not very successfully. Instead she shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it, it was weird, that's for sure."  
  
They talked for a while until Hermione noticed the time. "We have to be at breakfast in the Great Hall, soon."  
  
Dawn stood up, Hermione had just inadvertently helped remind her that there were things she wanted to do before she went to breakfast.  
  
"Well, I've got some things to do before breakfast." She explained to her new friends and walked out the portrait hole.  
  
She wanted to find Willow so they could talk before breakfast. Although, it occurred to her, as she wandered down one of the corridors, that she hadn't a clue on where to find Willow.  
  
"I'll just go down to the Great Hall and hope she's there." Dawn decided as she turned the corner.  
  
Dawn collided forcefully with someone as she rounded the corner, forcing her to fall hard onto the stone floor.  
  
"Dawnie!" Willow's voice called. "Sorry."  
  
Willow offered out her hand to help Dawn up and they continued off towards Willow's office, right next to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.  
  
"I was looking for you." Dawn explained.  
  
"Well, here I am." Willow smiled. "I'm glad I ran into you, even if it was literally, I really wanted to catch up." Dawn laughed.  
  
They walked into Willow's office. It was pretty small and old, but Willow had already made it her own. Dawn noticed several photos adorning the wall, some with Buffy, herself and the rest of the Sunnydale Gang in them. Other photos were of Willow's family and relatives. There was even a picture of Ron and his family in it.  
  
"So." Dawn began as she took a seat. Where to start? "I can't believe you're teaching here and that you're a witch! I never knew that."  
  
Willow chuckled. "It was a little obvious, when you think about it." She said as she too sat down. "I mean, didn't you get suspicious that I went to 'Boarding School' for most of the year, especially all the way across the country?"  
  
Dawn's eyes widened with understanding. "So when you went away, you were actually going off to a Wizarding School. Is there one in America, like here?"  
  
Willow nodded and Dawn yelped with excitement.  
  
"That's so cool! So now you've come here to teach, and you'll even be teaching me!" Dawn was in hysterics because she was so excited.  
  
Willow laughed at Dawn's behaviour and glanced at the time. "Whoa, Dawn, it's breakfast time, better not be late." Willow reminded. "I'll see you there."  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn arrived to find the Great Hall packed with students, already shoving their faces full of food from the trays and trays of it that lined the tables. Dawn sat in a sear next to Hermione and across from Ron and Harry.  
  
"There you are." Ron said in between bites of his toast.  
  
"So what did you have to do?" Hermione quizzed as she turned to face Dawn.  
  
"Oh," Dawn said as she piled her place with food. "I went to talk to Willow, catch up. Actually, I should start calling her Professor soon, shouldn't I?"  
  
Ron nodded his head. "Yeah, it's going to be weird calling her Professor, especially when she's my cousin."  
  
Harry finally spoke up. "When do we have Defence Against the Dark Arts? Is it this morning?"  
  
Hermione pulled out her timetable and studied it.  
  
"We have it last this afternoon," She began, scanning along the timetable. "This morning is Transfiguration and then Potions."  
  
"Potions!" Ron spat out his food. "Oh no, my brother's have told me all about Professor Snape, the Potions Master, and we really shouldn't be looking forward to that class at all."  
  
Harry, Hermione and Dawn became really nervous and concerned about their first Potions class as Ron told them stories that his brother's had told him. Basically, the general impression was that he was unfair to Griffindors and favoured the Slytherins because he was the head of their house.  
  
They finished off their breakfast and prepared themselves for the long, hard day ahead of them.  
  
* * *  
  
Their first class of the day was Transfiguration, like Hermione had said at breakfast. They sat down at the desks in the Transfiguration classroom, placing their books on the desk.  
  
Professor McGonagall, who was sitting behind her desk at the front of the room, stood up and introduced herself to those who'd forgotten.  
  
As it was their first lesson, they didn't do much, work wise. Professor McGonagall enlightened them on the basic details of what the subject of Transfiguration involved. She also laid down the rules, which could lose or gain you points and also what she expected of her students.  
  
The bell soon went and the first year students piled out of the classroom.  
  
"That was so boring, all she did was blabber on all lesson." Ron breathed as they wandered the corridors to their next class.  
  
"Well at least we didn't do any work." Harry pointed out logically.  
  
"Yeah, well it'd be great if we did that all year!"  
  
"Speak for yourself." Hermione retorted, who was desperate for a load of work to do. She'd even taken the initiative to write down every word McGonagall had spoken.  
  
They all laughed together as they entered the Dungeons, where they had Potions.  
  
"This is a place of learning, not socialising." A cold voice from the front of the room barked. "And I also expect you to be on time. Ten points from Griffindor."  
  
The four went silent and sat down as Professor Snape was glaring their way.  
  
"Ah, Mr Potter." He said in a rather sinister voice.  
  
Dawn watched Harry sink a little in his seat next to her, everyone in the room had turned to look and see the 'famous Harry Potter'.  
  
"I hope we don't see a repeat of this behaviour, letting fame make you believe that the rules don't apply to you." He smirked and went on to teach the class.  
  
After class, they gathered outside the Dungeons.  
  
"I can't believe he said that to you, Harry!" Dawn said angrily.  
  
Ron curled up his fists in anger. "Well, like I told you, he's an unfair old git."  
  
Lunch had begun, and they made their way up to the Griffindor common room to discard their books and to go get lunch.  
  
A.N - Okies, now that you've read it, please review. Thanks. ( In the next part, they will have their first DADA class with Willow! Looking forward to it, myself. He he. 


	6. The First Day Part 2

Author's Note: Hi guys, sorry about the delay for this chapter, I had to find the time to write in my now very busy life. Thanks for those who reviewed my last chapter:  
  
X-Lander - Actually, I did consider the first flying lesson and that will be on their second day.  
  
Scarlet - Haven't really considered pairings much yet. I'm not really that experience with writing, especially about a couple, so I'm going to just see where my writing takes me and what will work with my story. You never know, you might see some pairings later on.  
  
WhiteWolf 3 - Really sorry, I just don't like Draco and I don't know if I can write about his character and also, at the moment, he doesn't really fit into my storyline. Oh and I'll try to make Willow more Willow-y, I've just got to get used to working with her character.  
  
Major Space Monkey - Thanks for reviewing, and what is it about the penguins? They seem to be the talk of everyone. Hehe. Okay, yes, I'm weird.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 6 - The First Day - Part 2  
  
Their Defence Against the Dark Arts class came after lunch. Students filled into the classroom, where Willow stood up the front with an eager smile on her face.  
  
"Hi everyone!" She called out happily. "I'm Professor Rosenburg, for those of you who don't already know." Willow glanced Dawn and Ron's way.  
  
She clasped her hands together. "So, basically this year we will start with the basics of the Defence Against the Dark Arts, which isn't as exciting as 7th year stuff, but I'll make it as fun as possible." Willow paused and flashed a big smile, as if she wasn't smiling enough already. "We will be studying things like dark creatures and how to disable the, and defend yourselves if you should encounter them.  
  
"What you learn in this subject will be important techniques and knowledge that you'll need for the rest of your lives. Wish I knew that when I was a first year, then I would have paid attention in class."  
  
Willow laughed, but the majority of the class wasn't as enthusiastic. Willow kept smiling, nevertheless.  
  
"Okay, now we will learn a small spell so we can get the hang of using your wands properly, for those of you who haven't been so lucky as to observe much magic before."  
  
Willow showed the class a wand movement, which would help their spells be more efficient and effective. She urged the class to follow her example.  
  
Dawn swung her wand around, but got a bit carried away and her wand swung back, hitting Harry in the head.  
  
"Oh, sorry!" She called out half laughing.  
  
"That's okay." He said rubbing his head.  
  
Ron and Hermione were laughing at the incident, especially Ron, who found it very amusing, when Willow got the class' attention again.  
  
"Okay, now we will attempt a reasonably simple spell, this spell is a disarming spell and it is used to disarm your opponent, whether it be in a duel or a real life or death situation. Watch."  
  
Willow swung her wand in a swift movement and called out 'Expelliarmus', which sent Dawn's wand flying out of her grasp and towards Willow.  
  
This impressed Dawn, never really seeing a proper spell before and from Willow, for that matter. Willow wandered over to Dawn's desk and returned the wand; she paused, momentarily, flashing a very-Willow smile at Dawn.  
  
"Okay, now pair off and try it yourself, remember that it's 'expelliarmus', you don't want to blow up anything or anyone, for that matter."  
  
With that, the class started to chatter and everyone paired off. Dawn with Hermione, and Harry worked with Ron. At the first attempts of the spell, no one was very successful. After twenty minutes, the students were still focusing hard at their task, determined to get the spell right.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Dawn called out, pointing her wand at Hermione after what seemed like her one-hundredth attempt.  
  
Hermione tried it again now, Dawn felt her wand slip out of her hand again, like earlier when Willow had used the spell on her.  
  
"Well done!" Dawn congratulated as she took back her, she was glad Hermione had been successful but she was hoping she could do it.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" She called out one last time; using what little enthusiasm she had left in her. Suddenly Hermione's wand had fallen in her hands, the spell had worked.  
  
"You did it too, Dawn!" Hermione called out as Dawn cheered rather loudly.  
  
Willow had now appeared at their desk. "Well Done. Everyone, Miss Granger and Da-Miss Summers have done it." She informed the class, also covering up her instinct to call Dawn by her first name.  
  
The bell went and the classroom emptied, except Dawn, Harry, Ron and Hermione remained.  
  
"How'd I go?" Willow quizzed eagerly.  
  
"You were great, that was a great first class." Ron praised his older cousin and Willow beamed.  
  
"Well you guys should go back to your common room and enjoy the evening until dinner starts in the Great Hall." She suggested. "I'll see you there."  
  
Willow shooed them out of the classroom, ordering them to have fun before dinner.  
  
She wandered back to her office and sat at the desk, also pulling a piece of parchment out of the drawer at the same time. She took her quill and scribbled away:  
  
First day was a success. No complications, everything going according to what we have discussed. - W.R.  
  
Willow quickly rolled up the parchment and rushed out of her office and down to the Owlery as inconspicuously as possible.  
  
* * *  
  
"How cool was our first day!" Exclaimed Dawn as they headed back to the Griffindor common room.  
  
"And Willow did a great job at taking Defence Against the Dark Arts. I didn't know she could teach that well, never really pictured her as a teacher." Ron added as they entered through the portrait hole.  
  
The girls and the boys both went their separate ways up to their dormitories to get changed into some clothes other than their uniforms. They met back up in the common room a few minutes later.  
  
"So, what are we going to do before dinner?" Harry questioned the group.  
  
"Well, we could explore the castle, this place is huge." Dawn suggested and they all nodded in response.  
  
"They have a big library here, don't they?" Hermione said as they exited the common room.  
  
They wandered the corridors for a short while before they didn't know where they were. They stumbled across a long corridor, somewhere where they hadn't been yet.  
  
"Is that Professor Rosenburg?" Hermione questioned, focusing her attention on someone moving down the end of that corridor.  
  
"I think it is." Harry answered; looking at what Hermione had spotted.  
  
Dawn had noticed that Willow was doing something that must have been important because she was walking at a brisk pace.  
  
"Let's see if we can catch up with her." Dawn urged and began down the corridor.  
  
When they reached the end, Willow had disappeared through a door somewhere. They shrugged and were about to continue on their way.  
  
"Hey, what is this?" Ron said, which made them all stop again. He was holding a scroll of parchment in his hand.  
  
"Willow must have dropped it." Harry figured as they unrolled it and read it.  
  
First day was a success. No complications, everything going according to what we have discussed. - W.R.  
  
The group frowned with thought, trying to make sense of it.  
  
"Well, I don't really think that this is any of our business," Hermione interrupted their thoughts. "We should leave it where we found it and go."  
  
The others agreed, trying to leave behind what curiousity the letter stirred up, but they all knew Hermione was right. They left to explore other areas of the castle before dinner.  
  
A.N - Okay, not the best of chapters but I really wanted to write this chapter quickly so I could get the story moving. I'm very busy but I might be able to get the next chapter done in a week. It might be two. - Akalea 


	7. Things Turn Bad

Author's Note: Well, I just couldn't stop writing, so here's another chapter for you! Only got one review for the last chapter though :(. Thanks for that though, X-Lander.  
  
Well anyway, this chapter we get a bit of action, and some more for Chapter 8 too. :) Please read it and review.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 7 - Things Turn Bad  
  
Dawn woke up the following day to find that she didn't sleep in, this time. The sun was slowly riding on the horizon, adorning the sky with a bright orange-red colour. She pulled back her covers and bounced out of bed, ready to start another exciting day at Hogwarts.  
  
After getting dressed, she set off down to the common room in search of Hermione, she wasn't in the dormitory. Dawn found her sitting on the couch with a large book resting in her lap.  
  
"Morning." Dawn called out as she sat opposite Hermione, managing to break her concentration and Hermione tore her eyes away from the book.  
  
"Oh, Good Morning. Didn't sleep in today?" Hermione greeted. "Does that mean that you didn't have that dream again?"  
  
Dawn nodded slowly. "What are you reading?"  
  
Hermione held up her book so that Dawn could clearly see the cover, which was titled 'Charms - Grade One'.  
  
"Oh, do we have Charms today, I have no idea what to expect for that, but it can't be worse than Potions was yesterday." Dawn commented as two people appeared behind them.  
  
"Ugh, Potions." Ron called out, shuddering. "But you do know what else we have today?" He quizzed enthusiastically.  
  
Dawn pulled out her timetable and read off it. "Okay, today we have flying."  
  
"I can't wait, of course it'll be the basics and I've already had some practise from playing Quidditch with my brothers." Ron beamed.  
  
"Well we better get to breakfast in the Great Hall first." Harry stated, joining the conversation.  
  
They all made their way to breakfast before their first Flying lesson with Madam Hooch.  
  
* * *  
  
At breakfast, they'd stuffed themselves with all kinds of scrumptious foods, like they had every meal so far. There was no shortage of food at Hogwarts, that's for sure. After they had finished eating, students slowly left the room and off to their classes.  
  
The four young Griffindors headed outside the castle and to where their first flying lesson was to be taking place. There were brooms lining the grass at the place and the students went and stood near one, taking up all except the four left for them.  
  
Dawn walked over to the broomsticks and stood by the one on the end furthest away from the teacher. Because she was so nervous, she leaned over and looked down the line.  
  
"Uh, does anyone mind if we change? I don't really trust myself to be on the end and this far away from the teacher." She called out hopefully.  
  
"Sure, I don't mind." Harry answered happily and changed places with Dawn and she thanked him.  
  
"Okay class, I'm Madam Hooch. Welcome to your first flying lesson." The flying teacher introduced as she turned to address the group. "Flying can seem a little difficult and frightening at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will really enjoy it. You could be on the Quidditch team some day."  
  
An eager smile appeared on quite a few students faces, among them Ron.  
  
"Now," Madam hooch explained. "Please step up to your broomsticks and say 'up'."  
  
The students slowly wandered up to along beside their brooms, some quite hesitantly. Dawn was nervous herself and took a deep breath as she stepped up to it.  
  
"Quickly now." Madam Hooch urged the hesitant people.  
  
The students began to bark 'up!' at their broomsticks.  
  
"Up!" Dawn said firmly, feeling stupid that she was talking to a broom.  
  
It rolled around on the ground a lot, but didn't jump into her hand. Dawn looked up at the other students; they were struggling a bit too. She also noticed that some had already succeeded, including Harry.  
  
On her third attempt, Dawn was successful and the broomstick launched itself into her palm and she held it tightly.  
  
"Okay class, now mount our broom. We are simply going to float in the air for a few seconds and then touch back down, leaning forward slightly." Madam Hooch ordered as if it were as simple as clicking your fingers.  
  
Dawn mounted her broom nervously. The whistle sounded and everyone went to kick off. As soon as Dawn had done so, she knew something was wrong. She couldn't control the broom. It hurtled itself, along with Dawn, up around thirty feet in the air, flying in loops and circles, completely out of control. Dawn screamed and tried to grip the handle tighter, as she felt her hands beginning to slip.  
  
"What's going on? This isn't good. I can't keep hold forever." She panicked in her head.  
  
The broom suddenly jerked violently, changing directions again. Dawn's firm grip, that was turning her knuckles white, had failed and she couldn't keep hold of the broomstick any longer.  
  
She knew that she wouldn't survive the deadly fall and screamed out ear- piercingly as she fell closer and closer to the ground.  
  
* * *  
  
A.N - Yay, finally some action! Hehe, I'm just as excited as you are. 


	8. Developments

Author's Note: Well, sorry, there was a bit of a delay with this chapter. I wrote a while ago, originally, but I wasn't quite happy with it, so I wrote parts of it again.  
  
Thanks for those who reviewed the last chapter, I would write comments for each one, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. Sorry.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 8 - Developments  
  
Dawn's eyes were sealed shut from terror as she waited to impact with the ground. After a moment, she realised that it hadn't come. She peeked open her eyes slightly with uncertainty. She was still in the air and on a broom, but it certainly wasn't her broom.  
  
"That was a close one." A voice came from in front of her.  
  
Dawn looked up to put a face to the voice. It was Harry. He'd flown up on his broom to rescue her from her plummet.  
  
This was all too much for Dawn; she'd been so close to dying that she was extremely shaken up. All these horrible thoughts at what could have happened rushed to her head, right before she blacked out.  
  
When Harry realised that Dawn had passed out, he steered back down to the ground where the crowd of people were waiting, the first years and Madam Hooch. As he landed, people gathered round from all directions.  
  
"Is she okay?" A voice called from further back in the crowd. It was Willow pushing through towards Dawn quickly.  
  
"I think so, she just passed out from shock. I think." Harry replied looked down at the unconscious Dawn.  
  
Willow picked her up. "I'll take her to the Hospital Wing." She volunteered and set off in a hurry, clutching Dawn's motionless form.  
  
After Dawn had been taken away by Willow, Professor McGonagall approached the stunned group.  
  
"Mr Potter, please follow me." She requested and turned back to the castle, with Harry tagging behind.  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn woke up to find herself in a part of the castle she'd never been before.  
  
"This must be the Hospital Wing." She figured and turned her head around, to be greeted by someone standing over her bed.  
  
"Dawnie! You're awake." Willow called out with relief.  
  
Dawn pushed herself up to a sitting position. Apparently too quickly, her head had a blood rush and she felt light-headed.  
  
"What hap-pened?" She stuttered slightly.  
  
"There was that broom accident, Harry flew up and caught you, a moment later and you would be, uh ." Willow trailed off nervously.  
  
It was all coming back to Dawn. "Oh, I remember, I thought I was going to hit the ground but then all of a sudden, I was on Harry's broom. I must have blacked out after that." She recalled.  
  
"Yeah, you did. Harry brought you down to the ground and I brought you here." Willow paused slightly. "I owled Buffy, told her what happened and that you are alright. I'm glad nothing happened to you." She smiled.  
  
At that moment, the Hogwarts burse, Madam Pomfrey, entered the room.  
  
"Excuse me, Professor, but my patient needs some rest before she goes back to her classes." She told Willow.  
  
"Of course," She complied, and headed for the door. "Bye Dawn."  
  
Willow disappeared from the doorway and Dawn settled back down in her bed. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn had slept the majority of the day away, finally leaving the Hospital Wing in the evening. She'd missed the rest of the classes for the day.  
  
She entered the Griffindor common room, not long before dinner, to be crowded with many of the first years that had witnessed the incident earlier.  
  
"Did you know you were going to fall when you were hanging from the broom?" One person asked.  
  
"That was extremely scary, I would have passed out much sooner if it was me." Another first year commented.  
  
Dawn smiled, kind of enjoying the attention, but wishing she could get away from the crowd of people, at the same time.  
  
"Dawn, over here." Voices called from a corner of the room.  
  
She swung her head around and was pleased to see her three friends. She practically ran over to them and sat down.  
  
"Are you okay?" They all asked with concern. "I'm fine," She answered and turned to Harry. "Thanks for rescuing me, I probably wouldn't be here now, otherwise."  
  
Harry smiled. "That's alright, we're glad you're not hurt or anything."  
  
"And guess what?" Ron piped up excitedly. "Professor McGonagall saw Harry's flying and was impressed. Especially since he had never flown before today, so now he's a seeker on the Griffindor Quidditch team!"  
  
"Wow, congratulations!" Dawn cheered, then paused, realising something. "Wait a minute! You'd never flown before today?"  
  
Harry nodded and Dawn looked impressed and sick at the same time.  
  
"I'd never flown before either, but my broom went all crazy like that." She continued. "Actually, it kinda felt like I had no control over the broom. I mean, the moment I got on, I could feel that I didn't."  
  
Hermione frowned with thought. "Well, we have another flying lesson during the week and if you fly fine then, Dawn, then we know there was something wrong with that broom." She thought out loud.  
  
"You guys coming to dinner?" Seamus and Dean asked, walking up to them.  
  
They looked around, the common room was almost empty, and everyone was off at dinner. Dawn, Hermione, Harry and Ron jumped up and rushed off to the Great Hall.  
  
A.N - Well there we go. Please Review! :) 


	9. Essays and Broomsticks

Author's Note: Hello again! Not long after my other chapter either. :)  
  
I was in a hurry last time, so I didn't answer any of my reviews. I'll take the time now, since I didn't get any for Chapter 8 :(. Oh well.  
  
dfs;jj - Thank you for reviewing and being honest about it too. :) When I started writing, I didn't actually think of my story like that because it is in a way different from 'an American comes to Hogwarts' story. For one, we know the characters Dawn, Willow and Buffy; we know what their personalities are like and how they react to certain things. I also decided to make my story the way it is, because I thought it might make it a bit different from the usual Buffy/HP crossovers. Well anyway, thanks for your review. :)  
  
Colonel Space Monkey - Hehe thanks for reviewing. You are seriously crazy, you know that!? :P (Oh, you've been promoted from Major, I see.hehe now that's me being crazy).  
  
X-Lander - Am I that predictable? You always seem to be guessing what I have planned ahead! Hehe. Well anyway, thanks for your constant support by reviewing. :)  
  
Anyway, enough of that, here's my next chapter. The next one shouldn't be too far away either.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 9 - Essays and Broomsticks  
  
It had been several days since Dawn's 'near death experience' and she had pretty much avoided brooms fearing it may happen again.  
  
Dawn wandered into the common room, after finishing a potions essay in the library. She'd left Hermione back there because she was still writing her essay and had already written twice as much as Dawn had.  
  
Dawn spotted Harry and Ron in the usual corner of the common room. They were looking down at something, a long brown package.  
  
"What's that?" Dawn asked as she approached them.  
  
"Harry just got this package in the mail. I wonder what it is." Ron answered  
  
Dawn looked at it curiously. "Well then, let's open it."  
  
The trio pulled away the brown string and paper that was wrapped around the package, to reveal a very new and polished broomstick.  
  
"Wow, it's a Nimbus 200, that's the newest model!" Exclaimed Ron with exhilaration.  
  
"Who's it from, Harry?" Hermione asked, appearing behind the group with a stack of books in her arms.  
  
Harry noticed a note attached to the wrapping. He picked it up and read it.  
  
"It's from Professor McGonagall," Her trailed off, reading further on. "Oh, I've got to go for Quidditch practice right now."  
  
Harry rushed off to the Quidditch field, leaving Ron, Hermione and Dawn behind in the common room.  
  
"What's that scroll, you've got there?" Ron said nodding in the direction of a large rolled up scroll of parchment in Hermione's hand.  
  
"Oh, that's my potions essay." She responded.  
  
"Potions essay?" Ron asked, who seemed to be clueless.  
  
"Yes, the one we got Friday and that's due in tomorrow." Dawn filled him in. "You haven't done it, have you?"  
  
Ron gazed at the girls' disappointed and disapproved faces, also noticing that they were shaking their heads.  
  
"Uh, I think I'll go watch Quidditch practice." He said quickly, not answering their question, and then rushed out of the room.  
  
Hermione picked up one of her books and began to be absorbed in reading it, so Dawn decided to go for a walk just for the fresh air and the exercise. Since it was Sunday, Dawn hadn't done much all day.  
  
Even though it was late afternoon, the sun was still shining, the birds singing and it was a beautiful afternoon. Dawn took the liberty to explore the grounds, one of the reasons being because of the weather, the other being because she hadn't really seen the grounds much.  
  
She wandered down by the lake slowly, taking her time. The Quidditch field then caught her attention. She'd never seen Quidditch before, only listened long descriptions from several enthusiastic students.  
  
It was a reasonably long walk to the Quidditch field from where she was walking, so it took a good ten minutes to reach it. By the time she had, the Griffindor team were finishing their practice. Ron was sitting in the stands talking with Harry.  
  
"Hey, how was practice?" She greeted as she approached them.  
  
"It was great. What were you up to?" Harry answered.  
  
Dawn shrugged. "Nothing much, just going for a walk and thought I might come and watch. Looks like I'm too late."  
  
Dawn watched as Harry and Ron were enthusiastically admiring Harry's new Nimbus 2000. As she did so, there was something ticking in the back of her mind, something that had been annoying her for a few days now. She took a deep breath and decided to find an answer to her concern.  
  
"Harry, do you mind if I borrow your broom for a minute?" She asked politely.  
  
He nodded and Ron held out the broom he'd been looking to Dawn. "Here you go, Dawn."  
  
She received the broom and walked down to the Quidditch pitch. Taking one last deep breath, she mounted the broom, closing her eyes, as if waiting for something bad to happen. She opened them again when she realised that nothing had occurred. She was still standing on the pitch.  
  
She slowly kicked herself off the ground and angled up slightly, gently ascending higher and higher. When she felt that she had full control, she sped up, flying circles around in the air.  
  
She felt this sudden rush, a great feeling with the wind rushing through her hair and the excited twist that was in her stomach. She felt a thrill as she glided smoothly through the air.  
  
After some time, however, she remembered that it wasn't even her broom she was on and also noticed that the sun was setting on the horizon.  
  
She slowly flew back down, touched with the ground and de-mounted the broomstick. As soon as she had, she noticed that Harry and Ron were approaching her.  
  
"Dawn! That was great." Ron called out. "You're a really natural flyer."  
  
Harry suddenly looked confused. "Then why did that flying class go so horribly wrong the other day?" He wondered.  
  
Dawn nodded. "That's what I want to know."  
  
A.N. - Thanks for reading my story. Please review, you know you want to! *winks* 


	10. Confusion

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 10, it's been a little while. But since my last chapter, I've only got one more review. Please keep reviewing everyone, I like to see what people have to say and people helping me improve my story with tips. Now to answer my reviews:  
  
Midnight - Thank you for reviewing, I hope you're enjoying my story.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 10 - Confusion  
  
A few weeks had passed and before Dawn knew it, it had been over a month since she'd started at Hogwarts. So far, Hogwarts had been like nothing else Dawn had ever experienced. She was finally happy again, closer to accepting her mother's death from before she moved to England.  
  
The weather was getting cooler, leaves were falling off the trees and winter would be in a couple of months. The day was a particularly cold, autumn day and the first years sat in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, waiting for their Professor. It was the final class for the day.  
  
"Where's Willow?" Ron asked, getting concerned, even though they were missing out on class time waiting for her. "She's usually here all cheery and enthusiastic."  
  
"She'll be here." Hermione assured, not liking the fact that there might not be a Defence Against the Dark Arts class today.  
  
All heads in the classroom turned as the door in the classroom opened loudly. Instead of it being Willow, like they were expecting, Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway.  
  
"First years, Professor Rosenburg is unable to make it to her class today, she is ill and a replacement couldn't be found." McGonagall explained loudly to the class. "Please make your way back to your common rooms to study, and quietly please. I don't want to catch any of you in the corridors, disturbing classes."  
  
With that she disappeared and everyone in the room jumped up off their chairs, making a quick exit from the room.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong." Dawn worried as the four walked in a line down the corridor.  
  
"Well we could go find out," Hermione suggested, looking at Dawn. "We could visit her."  
  
"McGonagall just said that she's sick, it's probably a cold since it's getting closer to winter." Ron reasoned. "I'm going up to the common room. Anyone coming?"  
  
"I will." Harry spoke up.  
  
"Up for a game of chess? I'm determined to beat you." Harry joked as he and Ron walked off and around the corner.  
  
"Well, it looks like it's just us." Dawn smiled as they headed to Willow's office, talking as they went.  
  
* * *  
  
"And then Willow spent the whole day at home because she was so humiliated." Dawn trailed off, finishing her story about her Sunnydale days.  
  
Before they'd knew it, they'd reached their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's office and the door stood right in front of them. Even though it was at least a 5 or 10 minute walk through the castle, it had seemed like nothing because the girls spent the time talking, sharing stories.  
  
Hermione reached for the door handle, but just before her hand made contact, the knob started to turn, squeaking slightly. The two young girls followed their first instincts and dashed around the nearest corner, out of sight.  
  
They didn't exactly know why they did, but they figured that if it was Professor McGonagall and she caught them wandering the corridors like she had told them not to, then they'd get into trouble.  
  
They watched as a person opened the door and turned to walk up past them. It wasn't Professor McGonagall, but they didn't reveal themselves anyway as it was Willow.  
  
"But Professor McGonagall said she was sick!" Hermione whispered to Dawn in confusion.  
  
Dawn and Hermione silenced and tried to blend into the shadows as Willow walked past the corner they were hiding around. Luckily, they didn't catch her attention and she just continued walking along the corridor.  
  
"Why did Professor McGonagall say that she was sick?" Dawn pondered as they stood waiting for a minute.  
  
"Maybe she didn't know that she wasn't sick." Hermione suggested.  
  
"Well, come one, I know Willow's a friend, but I'm too curious to not follow her and find out what's happening." Dawn replied and they raced down the corridor, tracking Willow.  
  
They were hot on Willow's trail as she wandered the castle. She then exited the castle and started across the grounds of Hogwarts.  
  
Since it was late in the afternoon, the sun was low in the sky and the castle and the surrounding trees shadowed the grounds considerably. Hermione and Dawn tried to blend into the shadows as they walked along.  
  
Willow paused on the spot temporarily, as if she knew someone was tracing her movements around Hogwarts. She whisked out her wand and muttered some spell. Her wand was returned to her pocket and she continued on, walking at a faster pace.  
  
"What was that for?" Hermione asked Dawn from the tree they were hiding behind.  
  
"Is that mist?" Dawn said, peering her head around the tree to look in Willow's direction.  
  
There was a smoke or mist cloud gathering on the ground around them. They couldn't see a thing that wasn't about two metres in front of them.  
  
"At this time of the day," Hermione stated glancing at the clouds. "This is the result of Professor Rosenburg's spell. She obviously knew that someone was following her."  
  
With that, they walked blindly through the cloud, and towards the castle, or so they hoped. Luckily for them, the cloud quickly began to dissipate so they could see where they were going. There was definitely no sign of Willow.  
  
They ran most of the way back to their common room to talk to Harry and Ron about what they'd just witnessed.  
  
* * *  
  
"Checkmate!" Ron called out happily, beating Harry again at their second game. "Play again?"  
  
Harry shook his head. "You don't get tired of winning over me, do you?" He joked.  
  
They were both quietly laughing when Hermione and Dawn came rushing into the room, drawing a bit of attention to themselves.  
  
"What's wrong?" Harry questioned, noticing their rushed entrance through the Portrait hole.  
  
"We went to see Professor Rosenburg, as you know." Hermione gasped in between breaths.  
  
Dawn took over. "Well anyway, she wasn't sick like she told Professor McGonagall. We went to her office just as she was leaving it."  
  
"We instinctively hid as she came out the door. She looked like she had somewhere to be, she was in a hurry." Hermione continued.  
  
Dawn nodded her head in agreement. "The weirdest thing was, that when we were following her outside. She did a spell, as if she knew someone was following her, and this smoke or mist cloud formed and she disappeared."  
  
"I wonder what she was up to. I've known her all my life. It couldn't be bad, could it?" Ron stated, showing some doubt.  
  
"Well, we can't ignore that note we found a few weeks back." Harry reminded them. "Maybe it has something to do with that?"  
  
Hermione shook her head. "This could all just be something personal, and we're meddling in it."  
  
A.N - Well, there you have. If you have any comments or valuable tips please review, I'd love to hear from you. :) 


	11. Confrontations and Surprises

Author's Note: Well, I'm still alive! Although I doubt anyone will be bothered reading this story anymore. The fifth book was fantastic, but sad. I bawled my eyes out. Anyway, just to be fair, I won't mention any specifics for those people who haven't read it or finished reading it. Also, thanks to those people who have reviewed and I haven't thanked yet. Please continue to do so; I'd really love comments and suggestions. :)  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 11 - Confrontations and Surprises  
  
The next Defence Against the Dark Arts revealed that Willow had not known it was Dawn and Hermione follow her a few days ago. She was acting perfectly normal and class ran a normal as the class usually ran.  
  
"Okay, today we will focus more on dark magic and I will be helping you learn how to avoid it, and special techniques you can learn, about how to defend yourself against it." Willow explained loudly, her voice echoing through the classroom. "Now, if you'll open your books to page 21 and read from there until page 28."  
  
Willow had finished speaking and took her place behind her desk as the class moved to get their books out.  
  
"I don't think she knew it was us." Hermione shared with Dawn as the class began to chatter.  
  
"Why do you say that?" Dawn quizzed.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, just the way she's been to us so far."  
  
Their short conversation ceased as Dawn began to read her book, like they'd been told to. After class, the four stayed behind to catch up with Willow. It had become tradition since she was Ron's cousin and Dawn knew her well.  
  
"Hey guys, how are you?" Willow chirped when the classroom had emptied except for the four young Gryffindors.  
  
They all smiled and greeted their Professor.  
  
"Did you like my class today? I wasn't putting you to sleep, was I?" She joked, and in response they laughed and shook their heads.  
  
"Well, we better get to our next class, bye Professor." Harry reminded, cutting the conversation short.  
  
Willow stopped them briefly. "Please call me Willow when we're not in class, I don't really feel like a Professor. It still feels weird when people call me that in class." She smiled at Harry and Hermione.  
  
With that they exited the classroom and headed off to their most dreaded class - Potions.  
  
The class was like what they'd come to expect from Snape, hard working and highly unfair. The students attempted to get their way through Potions alive, with very little success though.  
  
"Do you call this a Sleeping potion? What were you doing when you made it, sleeping?" Professor Snape spat out harshly, standing over the cauldron Dawn and Neville were working in.  
  
The two flinched as each word left his mouth. Neville, of course was too nervous around Snape to think straight, and Dawn, well Potions was by far her worst subject. When Snape had selected them to work together, they knew they were in for disaster.  
  
"Longbottom, Summers, can't you make a simple potion without screwing it up?" Snape continued to criticise.  
  
Dawn was getting fed up with being insulted and yelled at as she sat there. She jumped out of her seat and responded in an angry tone.  
  
"Damnit, can't you see we're trying? If we're so 'useless', then why did you make us work together?" She spat, a little worried at the outcome of this outburst, but mainly, she didn't care. "Maybe if you stopped insulting us and actually taught us, we wouldn't screw it up!"  
  
The class looked shocked and there was a short silence. As Dawn stood there for a few seconds, she began to regret saying that more and more. The look on Snape's face could have killed.  
  
"Fifty points from Gryffindor, and I'll see you after class." Snape retorted. "You're lucky you're not getting a week's worth of detention, Miss Summers."  
  
Dawn sat down relieved and nervous at the same time. Neville and the nearby classmates were looking at her like she was insane, but at the same time, they were happy that someone had finally told Snape off.  
  
Dawn and Neville quietly worked away for the remainder of class, hoping that Snape wouldn't drift back over their way.  
  
The bell rang and people rushed out of their most loathed class. Harry, Dawn, Ron and Hermione made quickly for the exit from the Dungeons.  
  
"Miss Summers." They were interrupted by Professor Snape's angry and impatient tone.  
  
"I'll meet you guys outside." She whispered to her friends and turned back in the direction of Snape's desk.  
  
He finished writing down on the parchment on his desk and looked up. "Your comments in today's class have no place in this classroom and I will teach it the way I see fit, I am the Professor here. I can see that you're another troublemaker and I won't hesitate to give you a detention if you cause any trouble like this again."  
  
There was a brief silence and he continued. "Now, leave this room and remember, I'll be watching out from any more tricks from you, and Potter too."  
  
Dawn didn't say a word; she rushed out of the classroom as fast as her legs could carry her. Her friends were waiting outside for her and when she appeared, they all turned to look at her, with concern.  
  
"What'd he say?" Ron questioned, all eyes were on her, curious.  
  
"Well basically he said that I was lucky I didn't get a whole heap of detentions and then he went scary and evil saying that he'd be watching out for me," She explained quickly. "Oh and you too, Harry!"  
  
They walked off as quickly as they could from the Potions classroom and up to the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
* * *  
  
They arrived back at their common room not long after their horrible Potions lesson that afternoon.  
  
Dawn pulled out her homework for Transfiguration and began to work on it while Harry and Ron went to put their books in their dorm, and Harry prepared for Quidditch practice.  
  
Only a few minutes later they returned, clutching a reasonably large package. There seemed to be this thing with mysterious packages being sent around.  
  
They all gathered around and surveyed the package. It was rectangular in shape and you could tell that it contained something soft because it had no jagged hard edges, also the fact that it didn't feel solid when you touched the package.  
  
Harry tore open the paper and pulled out the contents. At first glance, it appeared to be a rather large piece of material. He held it up and it was then revealed to be a cloak.  
  
"That's weird, who would just send you a cloak," Dawn asked. "Can I look at it?"  
  
Harry gave the shining silver cloak to Dawn as Ron found an attached note and read it out loud. "Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well."  
  
"Hey, so this was your dad's." Dawn realised as she threw the cloak around her, throwing it on for fun.  
  
Harry and Ron jumped up and stared at her strangely.  
  
"What's wrong?" She frowned as she glanced down at herself.  
  
Her eyeballs nearly jumped out of her sockets when she realised what Harry and Ron were so amazed at. Her body, which was covered with the cloak, was invisible and her head appeared to be floating in mid-air above the chair she was sitting in.  
  
She quickly tore the cloak off, her body reappearing.  
  
"Hey, that's an invisibility cloak!" Ron spoke quietly, as trying not to draw attention from the other people in the common room.  
  
"So, my dad owned an invisibility cloak, wow." Harry said with disbelief.  
  
"Imagine the things you could do with it." Dawn pointed out. "Oh, Hermione's in the library, we should go and show her this."  
  
They left the corner, leaving the scrunched up pieces of torn brown paper on the ground.  
  
A.N - Finished reading this chapter? Well, now please get reviewing. Hehe. 


	12. Conspiracies

Author's Note: Another chapter, here for your reading pleasure! I hope you enjoy it. This is my attempt at trying to heat things up and get the storyline really running along faster. Once again, thanks for the review - even if it was only one from SerinityRules. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
* * *  
  
Chapter 12 - Conspiracies  
  
With Christmas approaching fast, the weather was getting colder by the day and everyone at Hogwarts bundled up in warmer clothes with scarves and gloves. Late November meant that in a few weeks time, classes would finish for Christmas and everyone would be going home to spend time with their families.  
  
The four young Gryffindors endured their classes, knowing that Christmas would arrive soon. They sat in Defence Against the Dark Arts, trying to concentrate on their work on Dark creatures.  
  
It was halfway through class when a stranger, who didn't appear to be a teacher, burst into the classroom and raced up to the front of the room, where Willow was.  
  
"Who's he?" Dawn whispered, leaning over to Ron, who was sitting next to her. He shrugged in response.  
  
Willow, however, seemed to have recognised him and her eyes widened when she saw him. The man had an urgent look on his aging face.  
  
They whispered quietly to each other, being careful as to not be overheard by the nearby students.  
  
"Whatever they're discussing, it must be really serious." Hermione whispered from Dawn's other side.  
  
Their conversation halted and Willow turned to face her confused and curious class. "Something serious has come up, I'm afraid that I'll have to end this class early. We'll continue working on this next class."  
  
With that, Willow and the stranger rushed away in a brisk walk. The class got up from their desks and left the classroom, each eagerly discussing the incident that had occurred minutes ago.  
  
"What was that about?" Ron wondered as he stood up.  
  
Harry chuckled. "Well, she is your cousin, we'd have thought that you would have the best idea."  
  
Hermione, Harry and Dawn looked at Ron and he shook his head. They all then looked away and headed off towards the common room.  
  
"So, what do you think that was all about, anyway?" Harry continued the conversation as they walked along.  
  
Hermione spoke up. "I don't know. But have you noticed all the odd events that have happened around Professor Rosenburg?"  
  
Dawn stuck her hand up in the air as remembered something. "Yeah, there was that letter we found and that time when she said she was sick, but she wasn't!"  
  
"The broom incident, she was right there straight after it and that meant she must have already been there or known something was going to happen, for her to be first on the scene to take Dawn to the Hospital Wing." Harry pointed out.  
  
"What are you guys suggesting?" Ron questioned. "I've known Willow all my life, I'm sure there's a good explanation for all of this."  
  
"Shh," Dawn suddenly said in a quiet voice. "Do you hear that?"  
  
There were voices coming from up the corridors ahead of them, somewhere from around the corner.  
  
The four of them snuck up the corner and Harry peered around.  
  
"It's that stranger, Willow and a couple of other people." He whispered.  
  
The group of people, containing Willow and the person who'd burst into their class before, were talking in hushed voices. From around the corner, the four Gryffindors quietly listened into the conversation.  
  
"The attack is planned for late tonight, around one O'clock. So that means we should all meet up tonight, but we have to be careful about this." One man spoke seriously.  
  
The other members of the group nodded in response.  
  
"We should discuss this in my office where it is more private. I have special charms cast on it, so we won't be overheard." Willow suggested, motioning towards the corner in the hallway, which Harry, Hermione, Ron and Dawn were hiding around. "It's just around the corner and down a bit."  
  
The group broke their discussion circle and began towards them.  
  
"Oh shit." Dawn panicked, under her breath.  
  
They frantically looked around for somewhere to hide. There was a door nearby, and without hesitation, the four quickly darted into the room where that doorway lead.  
  
Hermione, who was last to enter through the door, closed the door but not fully. She left a gap so she could watch the group of strangers, and Willow, walk past and even perhaps catch a bit of their discussion as they walked past.  
  
"We should meet up back in my office tonight too." Willow recommendation could be heard as they passed the door.  
  
Their voices slowly got softer as the group disappeared down the hallway. When they could no longer be heard, Dawn, Harry, Ron and Hermione re- entered the hallway, checking as they left the room.  
  
"What was that about?" Ron wondered.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "But did you hear what they said, something about an attack at one O'clock in the morning, tonight."  
  
"They also said that they were going to meet up at that time." Harry remarked.  
  
"You don't think that Willow and those people are involved in this 'attack', do you?" Ron worried.  
  
"I don't know." Harry said with a shrug.  
  
They started walking again, on their original route. Discussing what they'd just seen and heard.  
  
"I don't know about you guys, but I can't just ignore this. I think that we should find out about it," Dawn voiced her opinion as they approached the common room entrance. "Because if someone's in danger, maybe even us - we should find out."  
  
"So, what are you saying?" Hermione asked sceptically. "That we go off at one O'clock in the morning and find out what they're up to."  
  
"We could use the invisibility cloak." Harry said quietly, as they entered through the portrait hole.  
  
It took quite an amount of convincing to make sure that they were all happy to get up in the middle of the night and nosily find out about what was going on inside Hogwarts at the moment.  
  
They finally all agreed to meet up, at 12:30 in the morning by the fireplace down in the Gryffindor common room. They all drifted up to their dormitories and fell asleep instantaneously.  
  
* * *  
  
Dawn and Hermione slowly wandered down the stairs, taking it extra careful because it was so dark and hard for them to see. They made their way into the common room, to find Ron and Harry already waiting for them.  
  
"Got the invisibility?" Dawn questioned. "I hope we all fit under it."  
  
Harry held it up. "Yeah, I think we should. We've just got to all stay close together and walk slowly."  
  
They gathered close together and threw the cloak over them, disappearing underneath it.  
  
"Okay, let's go." Harry commanded and they all began to walk together under the cloak, and exited out into the halls.  
  
"The first place we should go is to Willow's office," Ron whispered. "That's where they were talking about meeting, right?"  
  
With nods of agreement they headed towards their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher's office, slowly walking amongst the shadows in the hallways of the castle.  
  
They settled themselves outside the room where the door was locked shut, waiting in anticipation for the occupants to exit so they could follow them and find out what they were up to.  
  
After what seemed like ten minutes, the occupants of the office emerged with blank looks on their faces. Willow also left her office, neglecting to lock it again behind her.  
  
When they were out of hearing range, Dawn whispered to the others. "We should take this opportunity to go in and find out what's going on."  
  
They all reluctantly agreed and entered the room, throwing off the cloak.  
  
"We better hurry." Hermione urged with a bit of guilt about searching a teacher's office.  
  
Dawn and Ron searched through the piled up pieces of parchment on the desk. Ron picked up one, looking at it with interest.  
  
"Look at this!" He exclaimed.  
  
They all gathered round to read off the parchment in Ron's hand:  
  
There was a sudden change of plans; tell the others to lay low for a few days until the new plans are known. - T.A.H  
  
As soon as they finished reading, they were distracted by footsteps echoing in the hallway. They dropped the parchment on the desk, trying to leave it looking untouched.  
  
"Quick, come on!" Harry panicked, motioning to get under the cloak.  
  
Disappearing under the cloak once more, they all quickly made their way out the doorway to see Willow walking briskly, towards them.  
  
They stopped up against the wall, a few metres up from the doorway. Willow walked past them and back into her office.  
  
Dawn breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed.  
  
"Come on, let's get back to the common room." Harry said quietly.  
  
They walked as fast as they could, trying to stay close together and under the cloak at the same time.  
  
There was a domino effect, Hermione and Dawn who were walking at the front, fell backwards and knocked over Harry and Ron, who were walking at the back. They all fell down with a loud thud on the stone floor, the cloak pulled off them and they were now in sight.  
  
* * *  
  
A.N - Ooh, now they're in trouble! Hehe, had to leave it with a cliffhanger just for a little bit of excitement considering the rest of the story has been pretty uneventful. Hehe. :) 


	13. Detentions

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 13. I'd like to first say, is anyone reading this story. I'm getting only like 1 review per chapter now, which is giving me the impression that no one is reading it. If that's so and I don't get many more reviews, I'll discontinue the story.  
  
  
  
Anyway, in the mean time, I'll say a few things about this chapter. Some things are kinda similar to the book, but oh well, it's still really different and I have totally different plans. As for the creature, I just picked one off Mugglenet (http://www.mugglenet.com) so I hope it fits.   
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Chapter 13 - Detentions  
  
  
  
Harry knew there was no time for them all to get back under the cloak, so he scooped it up and hid it from view, stuffing it in his robes.  
  
The four Gryffindors peered up to see who they'd run into while trying to get back up to the Gryffindor Tower. As soon as they saw the greasy, black hair they knew it could only be one person - Professor Snape.  
  
They all had looks of fear on their faces; he was the last person that they wanted to run into while breaking school rules, in the middle of the night. Especially since Dawn's outburst when Snape had vowed that he'd be watching for them to slip up.  
  
He glared at them for a moment and then an evil-looking smirk appeared on his face.   
  
"Now what are four first-year Gryffindors doing wandering the corridors in the middle of the night, breaking the school rules?" Snape questioned.  
  
"But the most important question on my mind is," Once he'd begun the sentence, they all knew where it was leading and they swallowed quickly. "Where on earth you came from? I walked down this corridor not even 5 minutes ago."  
  
"Uh," They all started to explain, but couldn't come up with any explanations to cover up the truth.  
  
Lucky for them, they were interrupted by a set of footsteps, behind them. Dawn sucked in a quick breath of air, hoping it wasn't Willow. If it were Willow approaching, then there would be a good chance that she'd figure out what they'd been doing.  
  
She released the breath she'd been holding when she heard Professor McGonagall's voice.   
  
"What is going on here?" She demanded, furiously.  
  
"Perhaps I shouldn't celebrate yet." Dawn though to herself.  
  
"I caught Potter, Weasley, Granger and Summers wandering the corridors, I was just about to punish them." Snape explained.   
  
McGonagall intervened. "I'll take care of that, Severus. After all, they are in my house."  
  
She turned to face the four guilty people. "Now if you'll follow me to my office, we have to arrange your punishment."  
  
They followed her grimly; Professor Snape glared at them as they walked past.  
  
Once in the Head of Gryffindor House's office, they all stood at her desk while she sat down, with a look of disappointment and anger on her aging face.  
  
"We have rules for a purpose, to keep the school and students safe. You have all disobeyed those rules and I'm extremely disappointed." She expressed with anger. "For that you will all receive detention on Thursday night and 50 points will be taken, each."  
  
They looked at each other uneasily, but still not saying a word since McGonagall had noticed that they were wandering the corridors at night.  
  
"You will now all go back to bed now, quickly." She said finally before turning away.  
  
Dawn, Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each once more and then left the office. They were happy that McGonagall had rescued them from Snape, but annoyed that they now each had detention and had lost points for the Gryffindor House.  
  
Dawn settled into her beds in the first year dormitories and went to sleep straight away because she was so utterly exhausted.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
The new day greeted her, but it wasn't such a friendly greeting. She remembered the events of the night before and how she'd lost Gryffindor 50 points and earned herself a detention.  
  
Everyone in the common room that morning were curious as to why 150 points had suddenly vanished from the house points and who was responsible. Harry, Ron, Hermione and herself just tried to keep quiet and not draw attention to them.  
  
At breakfast, they noticed Snape throw the occasional glare. He was clearly still annoyed from the night before when he had a chance to give unfair and severe punishments to them, but McGonagall had intervened.  
  
While Dawn filled her plate with toast and eggs, Willow approached their table and stood behind Ron and Hermione, who were sitting opposite her and Harry.  
  
"Good morning!" She declared, brightly, smiling at the four.  
  
"Hi Willow. How are you?" Dawn asked amongst the greetings from the other three.  
  
"I'm great. Hope you guys are good too, not too much work?" She chatted.  
  
Ron shook his head. "Nah, we are okay. Although Snape never stops giving us work!" He began. "You would see him a lot when you're not teaching classes, do you think anyone would notice if you accidentally locked him up in a cupboard for a while?"  
  
She chuckled. "I don't think I should do that anytime soon. Anyway, the point of me coming over here was to ask you something."  
  
They all turned to look at her.  
  
"I just discovered a Boggart hiding away in my office. I know they're more studied by second or third years, but if you wanted to learn some first hand extra Defence Against the Dark Arts things about it, you could come around tomorrow night, before it gets removed." She offered, babbling slightly.  
  
They smiled at first, thinking it was a great opportunity but then something hit them. Tomorrow was Thursday, and they had their detentions then.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "We can't, we've got detentions tomorrow night."  
  
She frowned with interest. "What happened?"  
  
"Oh, nothing much," Dawn said slowly, giving herself time to think. "Just... Professor Snape being his annoying, unfair self."  
  
She got a few looks from the other three, but ignored them.  
  
"Oh, in that case, there won't be any other chances to take up on my offer. Tonight I've got loads of work to look over," She said suddenly. "I'll see you all in our next class together."  
  
She glided away from the table and back to her place on the teachers' table. Dawn continued on with her eggs and toast, sitting on her plate, waiting to be eaten.  
  
* * *  
  
The dreaded detention on late Thursday evening arrived. Dawn was rugged up in her warmest clothes, even though it didn't make much difference because the cold wind was biting through her cloak, sending shivers down her spine.  
  
Professor McGonagall escorted the four of them down to Hagrid's Hut. "You will be serving detention with Hagrid tonight."  
  
"I wonder what we'll be doing." Dawn wondered.  
  
They entered the hut and immediately rushed over to the fireplace to regain the warm they'd lost while walking down.  
  
As Hagrid entered his home, McGonagall quietly left back for the castle. Hagrid turned and smiled at them, even though they were serving detention. Dawn smiled back; at least if she were to have a detention, the person she'd most prefer to serve it with would be Hagrid.  
  
"Tonight yeh goin' to be splittin' into groups an' headin' into the Forbidden Forest." Hagrid explained.  
  
"But, it is called the 'Forbidden Forest' for a reason! Why are we going in there?" Ron interrupted anxiously.  
  
"We're lookin' for a creature. Just yesterday, one of the Jobberknoll's from the Care of Magical Creatures department of the school was accidentally set loose. It ran into the forest an' don't worry, it won' hurt yer, they're harmless." He continued.  
  
They walked out of the hut and in the direction of the forest. They stopped at the perimeter of the forest, and Hagrid turned to face them.  
  
"Okay, Ron an' Hermione will come with me." He clarified. "Dawn and Harry will go with Fang. Yer'll be safe if yer with me or Fang."  
  
"What do we do if we find the Jobberknoll or get into any trouble?" Harry inquired.  
  
"Jus' send up some sparks from yer wands."  
  
The two groups split up and walked their separate ways. Dawn and Harry walked off into the darkness of the forest, the temperature getting cooler by the minute.  
  
After a while of wandering with no activity or anything in sight at all, they decided that they should walk too far into the forest and turned back to retrace their steps.  
  
As they turned back, they heard a rustling from the shadows. Dawn jumped a mile.  
  
"What was that?" She panicked.  
  
Harry shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
They couldn't really see anything because the trees and bushes had gotten so thick that it even blocked out the light emitted from the moon.  
  
Another noise startled them and they turned around and squinted, making out a dark silhouette approaching them.   
  
  
  
  
  
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A.N - How was that? Please tell me, review with your comments or questions. Please! :) 


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